Chapter 14: Chapter 10

Notes:

I'm finally almost done with this story arc; it's been killing me, tbh, but I'm happy it's providing a proper launching point for my ideas.

Chapter Text

"You weren't able to get the glass?" I asked, as I looked over the small tub. It might work, but it won't be as effective. Damn Myrish and their high prices! Maybe I should put some effort into a Westerosi Glass-making Industry. Elwyn shook his head sadly.

"I tried, my prince, I truly did. But the Myrish have raised their prices ever higher with Lys and Tyrosh backing them, I couldn't get the funds released. I had it crafted as best I could," he said. "I pray we won't need it until I can get the glass for it." I shook my head, my head swimming with panic, but I tried to hold it together.

"You did your best, that's all I can truly request of you," I said. "We will just have to pray it works. The warm water will do most of the work for us. The glass just makes it easier. A box could also work, if we cut holes in the side, I guess." Elwyn nodded.

"Just as well, Your Grace. I'll make preparations at once!" he said. I gave him a smile, then ran out of the small office that Elwyn operated from, and began to walk up the hall. Heavy footsteps suddenly sounded behind me, and thus I spun around and faced back.

"Harwin, I've told you to call out to me when you join me," I said, as my bodyguard looked away in embarrassment. I sighed sadly. I'd thought I'd hate having Harwin Strong around me constantly, but he wasn't terrible company most of the time. He talked a lot, though could be discreet when needed. And he didn't ask too many questions, so it made him, ironically, fairly ideal. Now, if I could convince him to not back away from Vermithor whenever I had him brought out, he'd be nearly perfect.

We made our way to the entrance of the Godswood and carefully walked through until we arrived at the Heart Tree. I waved for Harwin to go on ahead, and he nodded, moving ahead and out of hearing range. I had few prayers today, though I did clear some weeds around the weirwood sapling. I'd already made the prayers I could in the days previous— all I could ask now was for something that would work, whether just the baby being born on time or the makeshift incubator working before it was truly fully ready. I rejoined Harwin a few minutes later, as he leaned against a tree waiting.

We returned to the Rookery soon after, climbing the stairs to Grand Maester Runicter's apartments and office. As I approached the doors, I heard loud arguing from the other side of it.

"We don't need your superstitious nonsense here, let me do my work!" I heard Runciter yell. A calm accented voice responded from the other side.

"I understand you are Chief Healer to the King; but I must do my job— the lady Queen's humors are imbalanced, and her child will suffer if that is not rectified, and soon. While your advisor plays with magic, I do my job, you should—" I waved for Harwin to open the door and I slipped in with a smile, Harwin stepping in and closing the door behind us.

"Afternoon, Grand Maester!" I called with a smile. Hesitantly, Runciter smiled back at me. I looked to the tanned man standing across from him and raised an eyebrow. "And who's your guest? I do hope you don't plan to replace Maester Elwyn, I'm finally done with him!"

"No you're not," Runciter muttered, before chuckling. "And I am happy that you will be releasing him. Since he seems to have the paper for this," he then stood up and pulled out a box, revealing one of the first prototypes of Obstetrical forceps. I made a smile as I looked at them. Maybe… maybe things can actually go well this time. I pointed at the rounded front section for the Grand Maester.

"Those wrap around a babe's head. You don't pull, you guide," I said. The Grand Maester looked at me strangely. I sighed and grabbed his hand. "Guide," I repeated, lightly moving his hand in one direction before moving it slowly towards me, "don't pull," I finished, yanking his hand. Runciter finally nodded in understanding. I giggled, letting my emotions loosen finally, as footsteps came past me and the accented man picked up one of the forceps.

"And what, may I ask, is this?" he asked. He looked right past me and at Runciter. "It looks like a device for strangling. What business does a healer have with torture and executions?" He pushed past me, my side hitting Runciter's desk as I yelped, a bit louder than needed be, as I landed on my rear. Runciter gasped and backed up. I looked up at the "healer," my most pathetic look on my face, while also waving a hand to make sure Harwin didn't go full Robert Baratheon on this man's ribcage.

"Fool!" Runciter hissed. "Do you know who the boy is?! That's Prince Daemon's son, our King's own nephew!" The man rolled his eyes.

"Then he needs to learn to get out of the way when the learned are speaking. Yet you failed to answer my question— this device has no place in medicine! It is an instrument of execution! Why do you have such a thing? Are you Westerosi even more—" Harwin finally piped up, his mace resting on his shoulder.

"If you say 'barbaric,' I am going to swing this mace," Harwin said. "You hurt the Prince." I pushed myself up, only for pain to shoot up as I fell back onto Harwin, who quickly picked me up and rested me against his shoulder. Not the most dignified look, but at least it didn't hurt as bad.

"I was to say 'backwards,' as you see no problem—" he began, but I interrupted.

"They are to help a babe coming out of their mother!" I yelled angrily. "Less mothers die, less babes die, less children lose their mothers!"

"...Fewer…" Runciter muttered. I glared at him.

"Shut up," I said before I could stop myself. I blinked and went bright red. "Eh, Grand Maester, I—" Runciter chuckled. I sighed, and glared back at the tanned Essosi.

"They are not tools of strangulation any more than a cane is a tool of murder," I continued. "Did my uncle hire you? You'll be out on the streets by—" the door forced open as a messenger rushed in. "Grand Maester, Freeman Taenis, her grace's waters have broken, you are requested at once!" My heart dropped. No, no, it's too early! I looked at Harwin, who immediately ran out the door and down the stairs, to where Alesander and Elwyn were still discussing things. They looked up immediately as Harwin ran in, having moved me to a piggy-back style.

"Bring everything to the rooms, Aunt Aemma's waters have broken!" I called loudly. Both immediately leapt to their feet and began work to move everything to where it needed to be. Harwin immediately turned around and began running, up stairs, and across the lower bailey, bringing me back to Maegor's Holdfast. Harwin brought us to the Royal Apartments, where he set me down next to Rhaenyra, who was fidgeting uncontrollably. Her face perked up a bit as she saw me.

"Luke!" she called, moving up to me and hugging me tightly. I wrapped my arms back around her. My breath caught as I felt her shaking.

"Rhae, Rhae what is… are you well?" I whispered. She pressed across the cushion until she was snuggled against me. My face heated up for a moment, but subsided a moment later.

"Mama… I don't want to lose Mama…" she sobbed, as I felt tears hitting my shoulder. "So many… they say she'll die… I don't want to lose her like I did Grandfather!" I hugged her tighter, dropping a light kiss to her brow.

"We won't," I whispered back. "She'll be well soon, and your new brother or sister will be here soon, too." Rhaenyra nodded into my side, before looking up at me. I smiled back at her as best I could, before she nodded, and curled back up against me. I closed my eyes in thought. It was still too early. I wasn't sure if the makeshift incubator would work or not, or if the forceps would be of any use. It wasn't even about preventing civil war at this point… I just didn't want to lose Aemma.

Even with everything I'd done, the forceps and the incubator and the basic health advice, things were still just up to chance. There was still a chance Rhaenyra would lose her mother, and everything I'd done would be for nothing. I clutched Rhaenyra tight, hoping that I was wrong, that everything would be fine, that I was panicking for no reason. The door opened then, and Viserys walked in, worry all over his face.

"How is she, is everything progressing well?" he asked. Great, because what we need now was Viserys and his worrying over everything. And then Aemma screamed from the other room.